Outrage after Jewish monuments in Bulgaria vandalised

There have been expressions of strong condemnation and indignation after vandalism of a Jewish monument in Sofia, a Jewish monument in Bourgas and the synagogue in Varna.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the acts of vandalism against the synagogue in the city of Varna and against the Monument of Gratitude in the city of Bourgas, which is an expression of gratitude for the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War, the ministry said on October 9.

The ministry said that it is categorically unacceptable to cast a shadow over the historical achievements of Bulgaria, of which the Bulgarian people are justifiably proud, with such deliberate atrocities, the ministry said. 

“Such actions are not inherent in Bulgarian society, they obviously aim to bring artificial tension and division among Bulgarian citizens, and for this reason they cannot be left without consequences,” the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the relevant authorities to promptly take all necessary actions to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable.

The Bourgas-based Alef Centre for Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation said on its website that just two months after the previous act of vandalism, the Monument of Gratitude in the centre of Bourgas had once again become the subject of desecration and antisemitic acts.

The memorial, erected by the Alef Centre and grateful descendants of Bulgarian Jews saved during the Holocaust, honours the worthy citizens of Burgas who in 1943 opposed the deportation of their fellow Jews to the death camps.

About 10 years ago, the Alef Centre erected the monument in the immediate vicinity of the Bourgas municipality building and the Bulgaria Hotel – a symbolic place in the heart of the city, the centre said.

The monument is known as the Monument to the Rescuers of the Bourgas Jews, or the Monument of Gratitude, because it combines a message of gratitude, humanity and memory, it said.

In early August 2025, the memorial sign was desecrated by covering it with stickers with the face of General Hristo Lukov, leader of the pro-Nazi Bulgarian National Legions. The stickers covered the inscriptions and symbols.

In early October 2025, the desecration was repeated. This time the monument was sprayed with green paint, and the inscriptions and symbols were again erased.

“The repeated insult is not an isolated incident, but a worrying sign of a gradation in hatred and a dangerous trend of growing antisemitism in Bulgarian society,” the centre said.

“The Alef Centre strongly condemns yet another act of hatred and vandalism and calls on the responsible institutions to take immediate action to identify the perpetrator, fully restore the monument, and prevent future attacks on the memory and dignity of the rescuers and victims of the Holocaust,” it said.

In a post on Facebook on the afternoon of October 9, the Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria Shalom said that it was great concern and indignation that it had learned about the desecration of the Monument to the Salvation of Bulgarian Jews and the Memorial to the Fallen Jews from Northern Greece and Vardar Macedonia.

In a letter to Sofia municipality and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shalom President Alina Levi said: “We call on you to take immediate action to establish the identity of the perpetrators and to implement the measures provided for by law”.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case, as in recent days the synagogue in Varna and a monument dedicated to the Salvation of Bulgarian Jews in Burgas were desecrated, Shalom said.

“We believe that Bulgaria should not allow such manifestations that contradict the true essence of our society. We hope that the guilty will bear their responsibility.”

(Photoz: Alef Centre, and Shalom)